Customer Reviews

Fodor's London 2000

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While this book gives a wonderfully worded look at each section of greater London, it is definitely not for a traveler on a budget. It tends to focus on expensive touristy attractions and shopping areas while glossing over cultural areas where you can really get a feel for what London and its inhabitants are all about. Whether or not this book will be useful to you all depends on what you want to know about London.

If you are happy spending a lot of money to see the changing of the guard, Big Ben and Harrod's with every other American tourist in London, then this is the guide book for you. If, however, you want to get off the beaten path to meet the locals and get a real feel for London, you may be better suited by another travel guide such as Rick Steves' "London Through the Back Door".

Yes, Fodor's is an ok travel guide to London, but there are several other options out there that are better choices. The map included is only for the central London area and is not very detailed. The restaurant and hotel recommendations, as everyone is commenting, is mainly upper-crust establishments. But there are reviews of lower end places as well and Fodor's has a great section in the beginning describing what to see if you are spending 2 days, 3 days, etc in the city and giving detailed walks. If you're choosing several travel books for your trip, Fodor's might be a good secondary guide but I wouldn't make this my first choice.

I won this book in a contest... so I might be a little generous due to the fact it didn't cost me a penny. The London map only covers very central London. The walking tour information is really interesting. The book is filled with plenty of London details. I already had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to see in London. I just need to know when things are open or crowded. This book does that.

I generally prefer guides with more color photos. The Thomas Cook "Passport's Illustrated Guides" are more portable and colorful... but the update for London won't be available until December.

Somebody mentioned this book is for high spending. ("Unless you want to join other Americans spending a lot of money at Buckingham's change guard") You cannot spend a penny at the change guard, unless you dare eat a prospective belching fried onion and a wiener... The only objection I would make, is that places are a little hard to find.(They are usually described twice in different places, you find and read one and may be missing the main one) The descriptions are very accurate. If the book says "be careful with this" you'd better be!